Hey Guys,

This winter has led to what is hopefully only minor rust on my bumpers, and I've been searching for an effective way to remove the rust and clean the bumper without scratching the chrome or steel and think I may have stumbled across something helpful. I searched to see if this method was on the site anywhere but didn't see anything so I figured I'd share.

I'll be testing and posting results tomorrow afternoon, most likely.

Cleaning Chrome

All you will need aluminum foil and water. I've heard cola works as well, and I may try both.

"A common way to clean a rusted chrome surface such as a fender is to use a fine steel wool. However, when you use this method you have to use a lot of elbow grease and you still end up with a slightly dull surface with some amount of scratching not to mention the messy 'dust' left over from the steel wool. That's because you are physically scraping off the rust.

When you use the aluminum foil method you are dissolving the rust chemically so you don't need to rub nearly as hard and since the aluminum foil is softer than the chrome, you are left with few if any scratches. This method also allows you to get the rust out of some minor pitting without having to dig into the surface.

The aluminum oxide that is created by friction when you rub the surface of the chrome leeches the rust away and when combined with the water you added creates it's own polishing compound so you end up with a clean, smooth, shiny surface."

In case the link ever breaks:

Step 1 Cut the aluminum foil into small squares. 3" by 3" should do.

Step 2 Wipe down or wash the surface to remove any surface dirt.

Step 3 Dip a square into some water or sprinkle some water on it and spread it around on the surface of the foil.

Step 4 Cup the wet square over the surface you want to clean so you get a nice even coverage.

Step 5 Start rubbing a 6 or 8 inch area and remember you don't have to rub very hard. As you rub, you'll feel the surface get smoother and smoother until the foil just glides over it. You will also notice a light brown paste building up. This is the polish that results from the chemical reaction.

Step 6 When the surface is nice and smooth and you have polished it, take a clean cloth and wipe the polish off.

Step 7 Once you finish cleaning and polishing the item you need to cover the surface to protect it from the elements. At a minimum you can wipe it down thoroughly with a clean cloth. Since cloth inherently contains some amount of oil, this will give you at least some protection. The best method would be to use a small amount of chrome polish or maybe something like turtle wax or an equivalent kind of wax or polish. Make sure you wipe the surface down with a paper towel first instead of a cloth because paper doesn't contain any oil so you will have a clean and dry surface for the wax or polish to adhere to.

Hmm, wonder if this will work my polished valve cover.

Hmm, wonder if this will work my polished valve cover.

If its chrome plated, perhaps. If its polished aluminum I'd probably stick to traditional polishing.. I bought the buff and polish kit from MSA for my wheels and my valve cover.

Okay folks, the results are in - and rather impressive. With just minor scrubbing, water and tin foil I was able to greatly reduce the amount of surface rust.

Its not working miracles, as you can see in the second photo, once its pitted its pitted, but I would recommend this easy method to anyone just needing routine touch ups to their chromed steel bits.

Gave it a go on the chromed bit of my wheels (just the center cap and bolts). Good results. Now I just gotta polish that aluminum!